


A Short Course In Babysitting

by vaderina



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Babysitting, F/M, Fluff, Graves to the rescue, M/M, Minor mention of injury, Newt is out of his depths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-16 02:31:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11244504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaderina/pseuds/vaderina
Summary: When Tina is injured she cannot babysit for Queenie and Jacob the evening they wanted to go to the opera. Thankfully Graves has volunteered himself and Newt to save the evening. Newt feels thoroughly out of his depths and can only marvel at the ease which Graves does everything.





	A Short Course In Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aliaaaaaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aliaaaaaa/gifts).



> Not beta read.  
> Characters do not belong to me - only the typos and mistakes.
> 
> For aliaaaaaa who asked for a babysitting fic.

The problem with being an auror was that sometimes accidents happened. People got hurt, injured and had to spend more than a few minutes in the medical wing of MACUSA to regrown bones and knit muscles tissue back together. That wasn’t a simple job and required a sleepless overnight stay while the itch of healing kept the poor sod awake. The real problem wasn’t that though. It was how such an impromptu sleepover at the workplace meant plans for that evening and maybe even the next day. Which would be fine if any plans weren’t important or impacted on anyone else but Tina was not so lucky. She lay in her surprisingly comfortable bed and stared up at the two men on either side of her bed. Newt peered at her wide eyed and full of concern while her boss Director “You Will Keep To Protocol At Work” Graves frowned with ill-disguised worry.

“That was very brave of you Goldstein.” he praised.

“I’m fine sir. I have to get home this evening.”

“I don’t think having to regrow the bones in your left arm and waiting for your pectoral muscles to knit together is how I’d define fine.” Newt chipped in. She scowled at him. He had no right to tell her what fine meant when his definition was so much more loose than hers even right now when she was pushing it. The less Tina thought about the incident with the manticore and Newt’s limp body while poison tinged his veins green the better.

“I’m fine.” she growled. “I have to be. I’m babysitting for Queenie this evening.”

“Can’t anybody else do it?” Newt asked.

“No. And I have to be there. It’s their anniversary. Their first night out since who knows how long. Jacob got them tickets to the opera. The opera Newt! Do you know how expensive that is?”

“You’re telling me,” Graves cut in, “that you want to leave medical because you have to babysit while your sister and her husband go out.”

“Yes!” Tina cried out, frustrated that the two men were being so dense.

“Even though in your condition you can barely dress yourself, let along pick up or change an infant?”

“I’d manage. Somehow.” Tina mumbled. Her boss sighed and she looked at him imploringly.

“How would you feel if you stayed here in this bed and concentrated on getting better? Newt and I can take on your babysitting duties. Would that help?”

Tina missed the sharp inhale from the other side of the bed and the frantic wide eyes headshaking as she stared at her boss and saviour.

“You babysat kids before?” As much as she wanted to take them up on the offer, she still didn’t want to palm the duty off on someone who had no clue about children. The look she got in return had her shrinking.

“You’ve seen Newt with the creatures in his nursery before, haven’t you? I’m sure that between us we’ll manage just fine.” The reassuring smile was directed at both Tina and New who looked ready to have a fit.

That evening they knocked on Queenie’s apartment door. She opened it with a smile and ushered them in.

“Jacob is just saying bye to John and we’ll be out.” She was wearing a stunning pink dress and before either Graves or Newt could compliment her Jacob appeared in a black tux. His eyes were a little misty and he sniffed.

“Oh honey. He’ll be fine. You know Newt and Percival can take good care of him.” Queenie sighed.

“I know. Just. It’s the first time we’re leaving the little fellow alone. What if he misses us? What if he thinks we’re not coming back?”

“He’ll be fine. They all will be. Won’t you Percival?” she asked with a warm smile. Jacob never saw the slightly concerned look she shot Newt on their way out.

“Have a wonderful evening. Things will be just fine.” Percival shut the door behind the departing couple and looked at Newt who stared at him wide eyed. “You’ll do just fine Newt.”

“There is no other option, is there?”

Percival shook his head with a small smile before heading to the bedroom where he checked on John. The two of them settled down on the sofa with books, quietly reading and keeping an ear out for any noise from the bedroom. The corner of a book knocked into Newt’s shoulder where he lay in Percival’s lap. He glanced up and his face softened with gentle love. Above him Percival was dozing off, mouth parted with soft huffs of breath, his lax fingers losing their grip on his book. Newt prised the book from him and moved it to the table as he sat up to push a pillow behind Percival’s head. The quiet whuffs of a fussing baby drifted from the bedroom and had Newt freezing on the spot. Percival continued to sleep, the dark shadows under his eyes an almost screaming sign for his need to rest.

Decision made Newt tiptoed towards the bedroom where John was kicking in the bed, face scrunched up and ready to let loose a wail to bring the whole house down.

“Oh no you don’t.” Newt muttered and scooped the baby up. John regarded him from where he lay in Newt’s arms for a few precious seconds. His eyes were wide open in wonder and Newt found himself smiling down automatically.

“Hello there.” he said. John’s face creased and reddened before a shriek worse than that of a cornered wampus erupted from his small body. Newt almost dropped him in surprise.

“Hey now. No. There’s no need for that.” Newt tried to rock the infant but the volume and pitch just increased. “I smiled at you. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m sorry. Stop it now. Please.”

The screaming continued and Newt kicked the door closed behind him in the hopes of letting Percival sleep a little more. He handled dangerous creatures for a living, a human baby couldn’t be that different. He tried rocking John more but it just seemed to make him worse. Creatures couldn’t tell him what was wrong so Newt had to often figure things out. He ran through his mental checklist. John wasn’t injured or ill – Queenie would have said something – so he wasn’t crying because of pain. He didn’t seem to want comforting because Newt had rocked him but it only made him scream more. Food! Single handedly Newt summoned a bottle Queenie had left for them under a warming charm. He offered the teat to John who looked like he might latch on. Before Newt could start celebrating, John pulled his head away from the bottle and shrieked. Newt tried again, offering the bottle with no success. At a loss he put the bottle down and paced the room. Injury, illness, hunger, discomfort, loneliness all discounted. He didn’t know what else a baby could want.

“Please be quiet?” he begged but went ignored as John wailed on. A shadow loomed over them and he turned to fined Percival blinking sleep from his eyes. Wordlessly he took John from his arms and laid him on his shoulder, one arm under his backside and the other on his back. He still looked half asleep as he took small steps to the side and shushed softly. Newt watched in wonder as he turned his head to rest his nose against John’s head as the wails died down to quiet whimpers and eventually into nothing. Eyes still half closed Percival shuffled to the cot and slowly lay John back down. The baby whimpered but a caress down his cheek quieted him again. It was with mild wonder that Newt watched him turn back and leave the room as quietly as he arrived. A quick peek into the crib revealed John happily gurgling away.

Newt smiled at the baby and tiptoed out the room. He was surprised to see Percival on the couch already, curled up on his side and back to sleep. Newt shook his head in surprise and went to the kitchen to get himself a drink. As he was rinsing the glass the tell-tale sounds of a baby beginning to cry cut through the house. Newt rushed through to try and settle John before Percival woke up.

He scooped the baby up and tried to settle him like he’d seen Percival do. All he got for his efforts was screaming in his ear. Newt looked up to the door where Percival smiled at him.

“Need a hand?” he asked and Newt nodded.

“Babies aren’t exactly my strong point.”

“Nonsense. You’re doing just fine. Just move this arm here.” Percival rearranged Newt’s arms a little. “That’s it. Now that hand goes there. Good. It’s all about being smooth.”

As if by magic John settled down and snuffled into Newt’s shoulder.

“How?” Newt eyed Percival with renewed wander. His answer had to wait though as John began to fuss once again. Percival had to hold back a laugh when he saw Newt’s face and realised what was going on.

“Seriously? You’ll happily wade through erumpent dung to see if her stomach is upset yet pull a face when a baby does it in a diaper?”

“It’s different.” Newt mumbled, looking slightly green.

“Uhuh. Pass him over then.”

Later on Newt would feel ashamed of how quickly he unburdened himself of the stinking child but he was far too disgusted at feeling the diaper fill above his arm to care in that moment. After a quick moment to get some fresh air he walked back into the room where Percival had John on his back and was talking to him in a light, playful tone.

“Who is a stinky little one?” he asked and John giggled. “Oh no! What are we going to do with you, Mr. Whiffy?”

His fingers worked quickly and surely as he removed the soiled diaper. Throughout it all he kept up a one sided chatter for John that had the baby giggling and squealing. Once all cleaned Percival grinned and tickled the baby’s side. The shriek of delight it got had Newt smiling too.

“Oh no! What’s this? Raspberries incoming!” Percival blew a raspberry at John who kicked in delight. The one that landed on his tummy had little hands bouncing off his head.

“You liked that?” Percival asked and blew another one at the chortling child. They continued to play, Percival providing sound effects as each layer of clothing went back on John. From the side Newt admired them quietly and marvelled at how easy Percival made it all look. Once dressed properly again Percival scooped the squealing baby up. Feeding him from the bottle looked so natural and easy Newt began to wonder how he hadn’t managed it before. Bottle empty, baby burped and once again sleepy Percival rocked him slowly.

Newt took the initiative to wash the bottle and teat up, he wasn’t much use when it came to settling John so he might as well make himself useful. The soft hints of a baritone voice snuck through that apartment. Once more Newt could only stand and be awed by Percival. He’d heard the man sing and hum before sure, especially in the shower each morning. Yet he’d never heard him tenderly humming lullabies while rocking a baby. It took Newt some effort to not drop everything and go take a peek. Instead he finished washing the bottle before creeping to the bedroom door where Percival had John cuddled against his chest as he hummed, looking down at the infant with an adoring gaze. Percival glanced up at Newt and offered a smile but didn’t halt his crooning and John’s heavy lids closed over his eyes in long blinks.

Eventually the baby dropped off and Percival settled him back in the cot. He only stopped humming once John was comfortably ensconced in his small blanket. Then he took Newt’s hand and led them back to the couch. They settled down and Percival picked his book up.

“Percival?” Newt asked tentatively.

“Hm?”

“That was amazing.” Newt started, his voice unsure. “Do you ever have any regrets?”

“Regrets?” Percival glanced up from his book at that.

“Well. You know. Because I. Because we. I mean. Neither of us can carry children.”

Percival laughed at that before he pulled Newt in closer, book forgotten.

“Never. Sure, I love babysitting and spending time with children. But the best bit? You get to give them back at the end of the day.”

“Oh.” Newt let out a little chuckle. Any further conversation was cut short by the sound of a key in the lock. The front door opened and Queenie tumbled in followed by Jacob. While Queenie smiled at them and approached them Jacob was immediately off to the bedroom to check on John.

“All go okay?” Queenie asked, a knowing smile already playing on her lips.

“Just fine. How was the opera?” Percival replied, gathering his things.

“Just a delight. Thank you so much for stepping in at last minute to babysit.”

“It was our pleasure.” Percival smiled reassuringly. “But now we’ll be off home, no doubt you’ll be wanting to go to bed too.”

“Good night and thank you again.” Queenie called after them as she closed the door. As they walked down the corridor Percival slung an arm round Newt’s shoulder and pulled him in close, Newt’s arm wound round his waist in response. They started their way home in a comfortable silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr - I'm @ladyoftheshrimp


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